SHANGHAI: The standing committee of the Shanghai municipal people's congress will place land sales under its direct supervision from this year, following a slew of high-profile corruption cases in the city over the past two years.

In its 2008 action plan approved on Monday, the city's legislative body decided to take on the supervision of the trade, budget, use of proceeds and development of a mechanism involving State-owned land.

The move is said to be the first time the city has put the supervision of land sales in the hands of the legislature.